Dance With Me
by crimson5
Summary: takes place after the tv series, so it may contain spoilers. a little bit of sorata/arashi warnings: no yaoi. i dont know how to summarize this without mentioning any spoilers for the tv series. but please read and review anyway. pleeease. pleeeeeeeassee
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: this takes place at the end of the tv series so obviously there's going to be spoilers.

Dance With Me

Arashi opened her eyes and sat up in her bed. It was still dark outside. She got out of bed and walked outside. "Neechan" a familiar voice called out from behind her, "what are you doing up so early? The sun hasn't even come up yet."

"I can't sleep," she responded, "everything is so peaceful now. It's hard to believe that just a year ago……" the sun began to rise, the skies were radiating with brilliance. "It's beautiful isn't it Sorata?" the man's eyes were fixed on her.

"yes, beautiful."

Fuuma tossed and turned, but he couldn't fall asleep. It still haunted him. Everytime he closed his eyes, he would see the look in their eyes as they died again. He would feel their warm blood on his hands again. No matter how hard he tried, he can't forget. Saiki who died to protect Hinoto. Sorata who died to protect Arashi. Nataku who died so that he could regenerate. And many nameless, faceless people he could never apologize to. And then there were his sister and best friend. He had killed the both of them 

A knock on the door caused him to open his eyes, the horrifying images circling his head vanished. He sat up in his bed. The door opened and a girl came in carrying a tray full of food in one arm, and closing the door with the other. Fuuma smiled at her as she set down the tray. "The landlady is getting impatient. You're already two months behind in paying your rent."

"I thought it was three." 

"Shhh," she whispers, "I took care of that. Just pay me back when you can." she hands him a newspaper. "I think you should start looking for a job." she picks up his basket of laundry with one arm and opened the door with the other. "Anyway, I gotta get back to work. Eat up and start looking for a job. You better be gone when I come back to clean your room. Ja ne Fuuma-chan."

Mirai was the girl's name. After the incident in 1999, Fuuma was afraid to go back to the Togakushi (?) shrine. After wandering the streets for a while he ran into her. It turns out that she was working in an apartment building with a fairly cheap rent. That's where he stayed ever since. In a way he was kind of thankful for her; she would help him out whenever someone asked him a difficult question. 

"Subaru!!!!" a young girl yelled as she waved her arms around wildly trying to get the young Sumeragi's attention. She runs as fast as she could to him. "Hi--Hi-" she tried to say as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Hi, Yuzuriha," 

"I haven't seen you in such a long time. I didn't think you would still remember me."

"This wasn't something someone could easily forget. But I'm kind of busy so I'll be on my way." 

Subaru went on his way and entered an apartment building. A young girl about the age of 13 or 14 with short red hair greeted him.

"Irashaimase," she smiled, "My name is Runa. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm looking for someone named Mirai. She's been expecting me." 

"Why?" she whined, a little jealous. "She's no fun though. Wouldn't you rather talk with me?" By now she had already grabbed his arm and was shaking it gently; this he didn't mind so much. What he did mind was her high-pitched voice that hurt his ears.

"I have an appointment with Mirai-san," he tried to say as nicely as he could. The Runa pouted. 

"Fine! I'll got get her then." a couple minutes after red-head with the cloying voice disappeared, an older girl with longer darker hair came out.

"You must be Subaru Sumeragi." Her lips formed half a smile as what she approached him. "I'm Mirai. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." 

"It was no trouble at all." Mirai took a step closer and looked him straight in the eye. "Is…..something wrong?"

"No," she smiled, "nothing's wrong." A glass eye, she thought to herself. She took another step closer. The Blossom Star. She could feel it. She had finally found him. "Tell me, do you believe in ghosts? Souls who are unable to leave this world and cling to it? Spirits that still walk the earth in vengeance?" It was obvious that the girl didn't want to hear his answer for she kept on talking. "Do you believe in the difference between justice and vengeance?" she took another step closer and was now only three inches from touching his face and whispers, " Do you believe that no sin will ever go unpunished? That a murderer can drink his victim's blood and with that, erase that person's existence from the world and expect to see tomorrow? " She laughs as she turned around and started to walk away.

"I believe that for everything…… there will be consequences." Subaru couldn't understand what this girl was hinting at. 

"I've been looking for you for a while now." she laughed again. "I'm not afraid of you. " she disappeared up the stairs. He left the building still confused. He came because she called him last night asking him to investigate something for her. However, when he arrived, she asked him strange questions and laughed insanely to herself. He shook off these thoughts.

"Nobody is taking me seriously. I have better things to do than listen to the insane babble of some girl." 


	2. Chapter 2

The ice cream lady handed an ice cream cone to the five little kids while Fuuma looked inside what's left of his wallet. "Well," he sighed, "this is the last of it." he took out whatever money he had left paid the clerk. With his wallet still in one hand and the receipt in the other he smiled as he watched the little kids run along with the their ice cream.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" a strange man asked him.

"Kusanagi." he didn't really know what to say. As much as he wanted forgiveness from everyone, deep down inside he was afraid that if he asked, they deny it to him. He admitted to himself that he wanted to avoid seeing them altogether. If he could, he would have left Japan altogether.

"You're not getting anything for yourself?" Kusanagi said to break the silence. Fuuma shook his head.

"No I don't feel like ice cream." besides, I cant even afford it, Fuuma thought to himself. "How is……everybody?"

"We're all happy and healthy, well, those of us who've survived." Fuuma winced and looked away at hearing the word survived. 

"I'm sorry," Fuuma whispered.

"What's that?" Kusanagi didn't hear him.

"Uh….I said I'm in a hurry. Please excuse me." He escaped to the door and nearly knocked a young girl over. "Excuse me"" he apologized again and ran off.

"Hi Kusanagi-san," the girl greeted the older man cheerfully. "Wasn't that……" Kusanagi nodded. "he seems to be doing quite well for himself." 

"I'm glad taht after all that happened last year, he was able to get his life back together." 

"Its kinda funny. I never thought I'd see him again, but I thought that if I did, he would be in rags sleeping in a gutter."

"Yuzuriha! I didn't think that such a mean comment come out of you." True, Fuuma was their enemy then, but now he's different. He seems more reserved and quiet, a little sadder. "I saw Subaru just a little while ago," she said changing the subject.

"Oh really"

"Uh huh. I'm so glad that he's still in Tokyo. Maybe we can all go for ice cream sometime."

"That sounds like fun."

Fuuma walked down the street with his eyes on the floor. This was exactly why he was afraid to leave his apartment. But now, he cant afford to stay if he cant make any money.

"Fuuma," a familiar voice called out from behind him. He recognized her voice; it was Arashi's. He didn't' know what happened but he started to walk faster until he found himself running back to the apartment. He sat down on the steps and a short little red-head came out to greet him.

"Okairinasai Fuuma-chan," Runa said cheerfully. Fuuma smiled at her and she sat down right next to him. "You wont believe the day I had today. Today a really really good-looking guy stopped by looking for Mirai. I think he was her boyfriend. They were supposed to go out on a date or something. He came with pretty flowers and everything, but then he saw me…." she ran her fingers through her hair. "he decided to give me the flowers instead. He dumped her right away and asked me to marry him. I mean I was surprised too. I may be a vision of beauty and all, but with his looks he could have any girl he wants. There must be someone out there more beautiful than I am. " Fuuma whole-heartedly laughed at Runa's story. She was understand the joke, "What's so funny?"

"I don't believe you." Fuuma was still laughing.

"Why not? I thought it sounded believable enough. Is it that hard to believe that some day a prince would come and sweep me off my feet?"

"No that's not."

"I don't get it. What's so funny?"

"You're a compulsive liar."

"I AM NOT!!" the girl was indignant. Fuuma smiled at her. "Well I'm allowed to lie every once in a while as long as I'm not hurting anyone. Mirai is way worse than I am. That guy I was talking about earlier. I think his name was Subaru-"

"Subaru? The medium?" Fuuma stopped smiling.

"Subaru something I couldn't hear that well from where I was hiding, but his name is not important. Anyway he had some sort of appointment with her. He was really polite and all too, but then she started acting strange. She kept on getting closer and closer until the were just inches away from each other. I thought she was going to kiss him. She kept on talking about sin and murder and laughing to herself. She also said something about looking for him and about how she wasn't afraid of him. She is soooooooo weird." she paused for a moment and realized that Fuuma was still listening to her. This revelation that telling the truth will get people to listen to you more lightened up her face. "my point is she lied to him to get him here and when he arrived she only messed with his mind. I think she's being a--" she stopped herself from calling Mirai that word remembering that Fuuma once told her its very unattractive to hear a girl swear. Fuuma studied Runa carefully. He knew she was telling the truth. Whenever she lied, her eyes would light up and she would get lost in the illusion she created in the back of her mind, but now her eyes were serious. So Subaru was here, he thought to himself, it was probably a good thing I left before he came. 

Arashi fumbled with the keys for a while and then opened the door to her home. She took off her shoes and walked barefoot over to kitchen to set down her groceries. Her feet made soft thuds as she made her way to the altar and picked up the picture of Sorata. "I saw Fuuma today," she said to it, "but he got away before I could talk to him" Arashi set the picture back down and Sorata appeared before her. 


	3. Chapter 3

Arashi sat down on a chair and looked up at Sorata smiling at her.

"Nee-chan," He asked, "even if you did catch up with him, what were you planning on doing?"

"I……I don't know," she replied. She hated Fuuma for killing for Sorata. She hated him for taking away the only man that ever loved her and understood her. But now, the Fuuma that killed her Sorata is gone. Fuuma is now the same person he was before the whole incident and is probably suffering from all the guilt, but she still can't let it go. "I'm not sure what I want to do. I hate him."

Sorata took a step closer to Arashi. A tear rolled down the cheek of the woman he had died for. He wanted to wipe those tears from her wet eyes. He wanted take her in his arms to show her how much he cared. He wanted to hold her hand, to run his fingers through her hair, to kiss her lips again. He had sworn to protect her, but he was unable to protect from heartache. "Nee-chan, I don't want you to be sad. It'll better if you put this behind you. Everything was predetermined, and Fuuma wasn't Fuuma at the time." Sorata put his arms around her. He knew that he couldn't feel her, and the she couldn't feel him, but he could pretend. He could pretend that he was alive, and that they were just an ordinary couple. "I love you. I don't ever want you to be sad." 

Fuuma knocked on the door to Mirai's apartment. "Mirai! I know you're in there. I wanna talk to you!" He continued to knock until the door finally opened just enough to reveal Mirai in a long white, frilly dress. "What the heck are you wearing?"

"Never mind that," Mirai was a little annoyed, "what's wrong?" Fuuma waited for a few seconds but she never opened the door wider for him to enter.

"Uh…." He started, "can I come in?" Mirai shook her head. Instead she opened the door enough for her to slip through. Her long black hair was tied back into a low ponytail and all the stray hairs usually on her face were carefully pinned back so that her hair would in no way get in the way of whatever she was doing.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked as she shut the door.

"I just have a hypothetical question."

"You dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night to ask me about situation that doesn't even exist?"

"It's not even 8 o'clock." Fuuma looked carefully at Mirai; she definitely doesn't look like someone who just woke up. Mirai gave Fuuma a smile that meant please continue. "Lets just say someone did something really bad to someone and all of his friends. But, that someone really regrets it."

"You have to be more specific than that. You're making my head spin. You have to at least tell me what he did."

"What if he……..killed…….people…."

"If he killed som--"

"But he really regrets it. And he wasn't quite himself at the time."

"So he was mentally unstable at the time?

"That's one way of putting it."

"Exactly what are you trying to ask me?"

"If he wants their forgiveness…..what should he do?"

"He should seek it.

"You mean find them and ask them?"

"That's the only way. He has to confront them. He can't just hide from them."

"Isn't there an easier way?"

"He'll only be at peace if they forgive him. He can't just go and confess to some random, totally irrevelant guy who thinks he knows what he's doing and expect everything to be fine."

"I guess you're right," Fuuma decided to change the subject, "I heard from Runa that you met with someone named Subaru Sumeragi today. What did you have to talk to him about?"

"Oh, I just had to tie up a couple of loose ends. It's not important." She opened the door to her apartment while Fuuma studied her carefully. She didn't strike him as the type who would lie, but he was sure that Runa wasn't lying either. A little more lightheartedly she said, "That Runa. She's always butting into my business."

"Give her a break. I know you and she don't get along too well, but she's just jealous of you."

"What makes you say that?"

"I can just tell. We're all the same age but she looks like a little 12 year old. She just wishes she looked more like you and less like a child."

"I'm getting tired, I'll see you tomorrow morning ok? Oyasuminasai, Fuuma-chan." Mirai walked inside. She suddenly turned around to face him again, her voice, quiet and serious this time, "and Fuuma, about what you asked me earlier. Your sincerity in seeking their forgiveness can be measured by how much you're willing to give up."

"What do you mean?"

"Ganbatte Fuuma-chan." She disappeared into her apartment.

Runa sat on the steps of the apartment stacking up rocks and pieces of concrete when Fuuma came out. "Hey Fuuma," She cried out happily, "Whatcha doin?"

"I'm gonna go on a little stroll."

"Can I come too?" she asked and followed him before he answered, "I am so incredibly bored. There's never anything for me to do after dark."

"Why don't you hit the clubs?" Fuuma teased.

"They won't let me in. But…" she squeezed one of his arms, "if you take me and pretend that I'm your girlfriend, they'll _have_ to let me in."

"I somehow doubt that would work."

"And why not?"

"They'll just think I'm a pedophile."

"What!?!?" Runa whacked him upside the head. "That's not funny!"

Subaru sat on a park bench resting his eyes.

"Hello Subaru-san," the sound of the girl's voice caused him to open his eyes. "How's life?"

"You're that girl from this morning. Mirai, right?"

"So you remember me." Mirai's hair was in a high ponytail and she was dressed in black from head to toe.

"What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She sits down right next to him. "You're so handsome I just wanted to see you again. Tell me, do you sleep well at night?" 

"What do you want?"

"Nothing," she said nonchalantly, "well, actually there is something I want." Subaru could feel something slither up his leg, and on instinct he jumped away. The girl laughed, "jumpy aren't we?" the snake slides up around the girl's neck as she slowly stands up. "This is Akemi. Strange name for a snake isn't it?"

"Its means bright and beautiful."

"I know. It belongs to my sister. She named it after herself. You remember her don't you?"

"I don't know anyone by that name."

"Of course not," her voice was cold now, "I guess there's no need for a sakurazukamori to remember their victim's names although I imagined that they would."

"You know about the sakurazukamori. So I guess you know about the blossom star too." He said getting ready for battle just in case.

"Of course I know." Mirai shifts one foot in front of the other.

"Then I only have one thing to say: I didn't kill your sister." Before he even finished his sentence he could tell that she wasn't listening anymore. Subaru sent out his birds, but Mirai disappeared and reappeared behind him. Akemi lunged for him, and he caught her with one hand and cast spell on it with the other hand. Akemi's body fell limp. Subaru jumped out of the way just in time to avoid Mirai's attack. Mirai fell to her knees, apparently a little tired. "Mirai," Subaru was a little concerned, "you should sto--"

"SHUT UP!!" she screamed, " you don't have the right to tell me what to do." She prepared to cast another spell, but Subaru grabbed both of her arms.

"This is really childish." 

"Let go!! Damn you!! 

"I'm going to say it again: I didn't kill your sister. I understand what you're going through. I really do, but your body can't take much more of this," he said a little more affectionately, "Go home, get some rest." Slowly he let go of her arms.

"You're not going to kill me?"

"Is there any reason to?"

"I'll keep on coming back."

"You won't be able to come back for a while though. At least until you are able to perfect your little spell. I have to admit, not many people are able to cast that spell." 

"It allows my physical body to be at more than one place at the same time."

"But you're a beginner. You're body can't take it. You should go home before you exhaust yourself. You shouldn't die so needlessly." He smiled as he handed Akemi back to her, "she'll wake up in little while."

"You're not him." she said almost inaudibly as she took Akemi in her arms.

"No I'm not," he repeated as Mirai started to fade away. 


	4. Chapter 4

Mirai opened her eyes and clutched at her heart. _So it wasn't him_, she thought, _I have been going after the wrong man this entire time._ She changed out of her white dress and into her pajamas. _My sister was killed by someone bearing the mark of the blossom star, yet Subaru wasn't the one who killed her. I'm sure of that now._ The windows of her room start to shake. She walked tiredly over to it and opened it. A gust of wind blew a bunch of leaves into her room. The leaves carefully positioned themselves on her bed until they formed some type of map leading to the small house by the lake just outside the city.

Subaru thought about the little battle he just had. The girl was obviously still weak, yet she came after him anyway. It was kind of foolish, but she was a lot himself although he would have waited until he at least had a chance. Not so far away a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"_Why_ won't you at least _try_ to win me a bunny?" he could make out two figures not so far away, one man and one child. As they got closer he recognized the girl, but the man's face was still in shadows. "_Fuuma!_ You're being mean!" 

"Fuuma," Subaru said to himself, "so….he's still here." He decided to walk take a little stroll in the direction of the two figures.

"But I love bunnies; you can at least try." Runa was still nagging Fuuma.

"I would, Runa," he pleaded, "I honestly would if I had any money. I'm already thre-- I mean two months behind when it comes to paying the rent. I can barely feed myself." Fuuma smiled at Runa, "and if it weren't for you and Mirai, I'd be in rags."

"How long has it been?" a voice broke into their conversation. 

"Subaru," Fuuma and Runa said at once. Fuuma turned to Runa, "go home, Runa. It's late."

"I'm not a kid," she protested, "I can stay out as late as I want." Fuuma whispers something in her ear and she smiled agreeing to go home. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

"It's quite peaceful here isn't it?" Fuuma asked making small talk.

"No, not really." 

"Oh… I guess not."

"I was kidding. It actually is kind of peaceful."

"Subaru, I'm really sorry." The words just slipped out, "I know this isn't going to make up for anything but--"

"It's alright." In the past year, Subaru had managed to put the whole incident behind him.

"But I hurt you and all the people I cared about. I _killed _people."

"The real you regretted it."

"I killed my own sister and my best friend."

"And it's eating you up inside isn't it?"

"I still have nightmares."

"Are you planning on finding each and everyone us and apologizing?" Fuuma nodds. "You can do that, but it's not going to help much if you don't forgive yourself. I think that's more important because you lost more than the rest of us and by your own hands, too. But….if you must…..Arashi lives in a small isolated house just outside the city, the one close to a lake. She's been hurt by you, I think, more than the rest of us." 

"What about you? Are you still mad?" Fuuma inquired. Subaru shook his head and lit up a cigarette. He offered one to Fuuma, who refused.

"No thanks. I don't want to start smoking again. I can't afford it. I'm already eating only one and a half legal meals a day." Subaru gave him a weird look. "I have friends who steal and sneak in food for me," Fuuma explained.

"I see." 

Mirai changed out of her pajamas and into regular clothes again. She made her way out of the city and trying to fight off her headache at the same time. She reached her destination to see a man waiting for her in front of the house.

"Hi there," he called out, "remember me?"

"Yeah," she smiled, " my sister yelled at you because you made me cry. That was a long time ago wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I've been looking for her for a while now. I didn't realize she had passed away."

"So you got me instead." She pauses for a while thinking about her battle with Subaru; she gave up to soon. "I'm not as powerful as my sister, I'll never be either."

"That's ok."

"Sorata, if you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

"See you're just like your sister," Sorata laughed, "you can even sense that I'm dead." Sorata continued to laugh although Mirai failed to see what the joke was. "I died protecting the woman I love," he said seriously, but then he whispered a little more lightheartedly, "she's sleeping right now."

"I see."

"And I've been by her side ever since, but I can't leave this place during the day. I can't do anything normal boyfriends do." He looks at the palm of his hand. "I can't even hold her hand."

"So you called me out here for that reason?"

"Yeah. I know you know a spell or something that can help me so don't bother lying." Mirai said nothing. "I'll risk anything."

"There is one spell I know." She wondered if she should continue. "You will have a physical body with a heartbeat and everything, but there's a catch."

"What is it?"

"This spell basically turns your soul into flesh, not giving it a shell to go into. So your soul will be mortal. A cut on the tip of your finger is cut into your soul. If your physical body dies, so does your soul."

"So basically, it's a spell that makes my soul mortal. But I can touch and sleep and eat again?" he asked hopefully.

"The essence of the human body is the soul. It's what makes us immortal and the main reason most of us are able to accept our impending death is because the thought of something after comforts us. Why would you risk your immortal soul just for a physical body that will be exhausted soon?"

"You won't understand."

"You're right I won't and I probably never will. Before you make up your mind, there's another catch. You still won't be human. You'll still have to stay away from religious shrines that fight off spirits. And most importantly, the spell can only last is 49 days, and it can only be cast on seventh of July. After the 49th day, your very essence will disappear forever."

"If it means I can be with her like a normal guy again, I think it's worth it. It may only be for 49 days, but its better than 100 days of not being able to comfort her." he smiles. "some old geezer, I think his name was Heidegger. Well whatever, he argued that human beings can never hope to understand why they are here; instead, they must choose a goal and follow it with passionate conviction. They are aware of the certainty of death and the ultimate meaninglessness of their life. Arashi is the reason I exist and I want to choose this path. If 49 days is all I've got, then it will have to do."

"The seventh of July is next Thursday. I'll stop by on Wednesday to make preparations."

"I'll see you Wednesday, then." He faced Mirai who could barely keep her balance, "And you, get some sleep before you end up like me."

"Yeah I guess." She laughed as she left. As she re-entered the city, she tried to think of something to do to keep her busy. For the past year, all her nights were spent casting spells and looking for the sakurazukamori. Now, it turns out that everything she did was in vain. She decided that she was going to find Subaru one more time. Maybe he can give her some useful information regarding her sister.


End file.
